Awakening
by The Demon Of Sloth
Summary: Forced into an millennial slumber, Esther awakes to find herself far in the future. With an intellectual threat lingering in the futuristic world, how will she cope when her family and friends have all moved on without her? [ON HOLD TILL FURTHER NOTICE]
1. Chapter 0--Tombstone

**Description:** Forced into an millennial slumber, Esther awakes to find herself far in the future. With an intellectual threat lingering, how will she cope when her family and friends have all moved on without her?

Awakening

Chapter 0—Tombstone

Esther's life revolved around magic, music and familiars. The art of familiar taming required magic, and her father was one of the Great Sages, four great wizards blessed with the most powerful magic and spells.

Familiars were one of her favourite things in the world. Take it away from her and she would be a hollow husk. She possessed a natural skill of taming the wild creatures that roamed outside the wilderness. As far as she could remember, she had tamed her first familiar when she was at a tender age of six. She eventually called the Drongo GoGo, seeing it always on the go, ready for combat. Its name was also partly because of its species name. But _this, this_ world somehow managed to change the creatures that she was so knowledgeable about into some unknown being.

Music was also another one of her passions that Esther cannot live without. She was capable of playing hauntingly enchanting music that can make the heart of a cruel adult man melt. Whenever she was unable to sleep at night, instead of disturbing her father, she would take her harp and play herself a lullaby. She had memorised the lullaby her mother used to sing to her by heart.

Esther's mother was a beautiful woman with a natural gift for singing, and was considered the 'diva' of Al Mammon. Esther had picked up music at an early age, and when she turned nine, she performed at Queen Cowlipha's jubilee, instantly winning the hearts of the audience with her skilful harp playing. After the performance, she and her mother were showered with endless praise, some even saying that Esther would be the next Al Mammoni diva, and someday be crowned as the diva of the entire world of Kuni.

Of course, all good things had to come to an end.

Magic was by far the most fascinating thing known to mankind. It was powerful, and deadly if landed by the wrong hands. The world populace had seen how much devastation that has conspired by Shadar and the White Witch. People knew better than to mingle with the dark side of magic. However, that did not stop wizards and sorcerers from having big dreams.

And perhaps, Esther was unlucky enough to be caught up in their wild dreams to end up in such a sorry situation.

 **...**

With a yawn, Esther gingerly fluttered open her eyes. She felt drowsy, that same kind of drowsiness when she oversleeps. Surely her father would have woken her up if she had slept in. Maybe he had to run some errands, like delivering babanas to a customer. But wasn't it her job to do the delivering? Perhaps her father decided to give her the day off.

Making a mental note to thank her father when she sees him, Esther rubbed her eyes to get rid of early morning fatigue. As she got up, her head made contact with a hard surface, causing her to wince. Now truly alert, she realised with shock that she wasn't in her bedroom. Instead, she was lying in a _coffin._ The cover of the coffin was coated with translucent covering, enabling light to filter through. However, there wasn't any light outside.

A thousand thought surfaced in Esther's mind, trying its best to comprehend what in the name of babanas is going on. How did she end up in a coffin, probably buried ten feet underground in an abandoned cemetery where nobody would hear her screams? Did she somehow ate a 'poison' apple and everyone thought that she was poisoned to death? Did she somehow fell into a deep slumber that nobody could wake her up, just like Sleeping Beauty?

Esther proceeded to lift the lid open, which was surprisingly easy. She stumbled a little as she left her 'death' bed, probably due to not moving for a very long time. The coffin was layered with gorgeous flowers of all different kinds of species. Esther bend down to observe a rare white chrysanthemum when she noticed there was some sort of device attached to the polished wood and a magical carving.

 _AP 5_ — _1004_

 _Here lies Esther, a talented familiar tamer, beloved daughter and wonderful friend._

Esther's eyes almost popped out of their eye sockets. She had slept for nine hundred and ninety nine years?! Was this some sort of sick joke?

The carving then added another year to its calendar, which made that a thousand.

A strong wave of nausea overwhelmed the girl. What did all of this mean? If she had slept for a millennium, then did that mean that... all of her family and friends are long dead?

Still stubbornly insisting that this whole incident might be a twisted joke from Swaine who managed to convince Oliver to carve it, making her think that she slept for a thousand years and panic, and then her friends would pop out from a nearby bush and laugh at her for falling into their trick, Esther clenched her fists tightly until her knuckles turned white. Well, when she get her hands on that wretched thief, she would make him pay _dearly._ Maybe she could let Oliver off with a lecture about how assisting Swaine in such antics weren't by any means good, even if he did it for the sake of making Swaine happy. Oliver wasn't mean. He was a sweet, kind and honest boy, always helping out anyone who needed it. She couldn't bear the thought of lashing out at him.

Esther then checked the device out of curiosity. As soon as her hands made contact with it, the screen on the device let out a glaring light which made her step back. A hologram appeared before her, showing an adult Oliver with new fitting clothes. He was smiling brightly, his eyes full of anticipation as he spoke, "hey Esther! Glad to know that you have finally woken up! Don't bother speaking to me for this is just a recording. Please don't panic, you're completely safe. There is an impenetrable forcefield surrounding you, keeping you safe from danger. Once this recording is finished, the forcefield will dissipate and a skeleton friend called Xyler will lead you down from Tombstone Trail safely. After that, approach Marcassin and he would gladly offer you a ride home. I'm sorry if it has caused you any inconvenience; we had to keep you hidden to prevent you from being captured as valuable research material after you had fallen into an enchanted slumber that nobody can wake you from; all of us tried our best, honestly!

Esther felt like breaking down into tears as he saw the holographic Oliver bow down his head with a pained expression.

"All of us, including your dad are eagerly awaiting your return home. Rashaad is willing to pass down his entire babana stall for you if you need a job. Please come home soon! We miss you!" With that, the hologram was gone and the forcefield that Esther had not noticed before dissipated, showing Esther her surroundings. She was at an altar in Tombstone Trail where she had once fought the Candelabracadabra, a guardian protecting the sacred wand Mornstar breach time spell during a time travel incident. A wave of nostalgia washed over her. This place brought back so many memories, even though she had only been here once.

Just as promised, an undead skeleton wearing a green shirt and ragged pants greeted Esther, "g-g-good day me l-lady. I h-h-hope you had a good s-s-sleep, for i-i-i-it's time to h-have the time of your d-d-death! C-Crypt Casino has been d-doing well, s-so well that we h-had expanded! We even h-h-have new shops built j-j-just for your entertainment! I am h-h-honoured to be y-your guide for today. Now, l-lets get a move on, s-s-shall we?"

Nodding dumbly, Esther trailed along with Xyler down the slope that was concealed with dead bushes, weeds and grass. As she continued walking, Xyler was introducing the different kinds of shops and entertainment facilities they had, from clothes to jewellery, and including some weird things like bowling. Xyler boasted about how they had a new shop that sold this 'electronic gadgets' and how the dead should still keep up with the times.

Just like all the other shops, they looked like some abandoned shack on the outside, but on the inside it looks fabulous. There were many undead skeletons like Xyler and (alive) witches around the shopping districts, happily chatting away and admiring what merchandise the stores had to offer. Esther was busy marvelling at the stores, gawking at literally everything she sets her eyes upon. Even the clothes of the skeletons and witches, they were all so... bizarre. In her opinion, it looked as if they were dressed up for a circus act. The fashion trends had really taken a large turn since her time.

As Xyler led her further down, Esther begun to notice the strong lights that penetrated the darkness, which she assumed to be civilisation. Perhaps a new city has been built near the underground empire, Hamelin. Esther asked what those lights were; he casually replied that it was New Hamelin.

 _(_ New _Hamelin? What the... whatever did the 'New' have to represent in the empire's name? Does that mean that... oh no, please no...)_

Esther's first theory was that the Hamelin during her time was destroyed at some point and the empire had to be rebuilt. The second was that that Hamelin had simply expanded and dubbed the new area New Hamelin. The third was that the area was once part of Hamelin before it gained independence and became a separate state. Deciding that it didn't hurt to ask, she asked him to elaborate in further detail, but Xyler claimed that he knew nothing else.

"H-here we are l-l-lass. I guess it's g-g-g-goodbye now. Oh, take all of y-y-your stuff before you f-f-forget." Xyler said as they reached the end of the trail, and fishes out her harp out from his bottomless bag. Somehow, Esther's beloved harp had managed to survive a thousand years. She pulled at the strings, and it played melodic notes, just like what it was meant to do.

"Goodbye Xyler!" Esther said, and Xyler flashed a bony smile before leaving. She let out a confident huff and summoned GoGo. It let out a happy squak and tackled the familiar tamer in a hug. She giggled as she hugged it back. For a moment, it was just Esther and her beloved familiar. She briefly forgot about her millennial sleep and her friends moving on without her...

...until someone attacked her.

Her Drongo snapped to attention, smacking the attacker with its spear. Esther got up on her feet and prepared for battle, but her bravado vanished when she saw the beast that she was up against. It had the head and feet of a Sprog Cog, but it had the large iron body and arms of a Tin-Man. It glared menacingly at her with its beady eyes, ready to tear her apart.

 _(What in the name of babanas is that? A mutant? A cross breed?)_

The Sprog Cog-Tin-Man swung its arms at Gogo, draining its health to three quarter. Esher hastily told it to use Healing Tear and ordered the Drongo to attack. It repeatedly assaulted the creature, but the damage inflicted was minimal. The Sprog-Man continued to beat up Gogo with ease, dragging its health to dangerously low levels. Awestruck by its overpowered strength, Esther decided it was best to make a run for it. GoGo cast another quick Healing Tear before she summoned it back and dashed as far from the monstrosity of a familiar. The Sprog-Man tried to give chase, but it wasn't able to due to its slow speed.

As Esther pressed further along the Pig Iron Plain, the monsters only increased in numbers. Somehow, she miraculously managed to dodge most of them, causing a whole lot of beasts chasing after the songstress. Some gave up their pursuit, but a few stubborn ones still continued to give chase. A Trapper Snapper-Clinketyclank, a Jackrabbot-Crashing Boar and a Sprog Cog-Bone Ranger were furiously trying to catch up to the unfortunate traveller.

Panting heavily, Esther forced herself to pick up speed despite her weak legs screaming for rest. She dared not look back in fear of tripping on a random rock, just like what happens to protagonists in books and movies. The glaring lights of the city were like her lighthouse trying to penetrate its light through the black sea skies. She was almost there, and so close!

 _(Eh… what?)_

The city that she was approaching appeared to be built on a large metal platform with sturdy pillars supporting it. As she got closer, Esther could see it was built over ruins of a metal structure. She made a mad dash up the metal stairs and banged at the thick iron gates, demanding to be let in. Her thrashings became desperate as the familiars caught up with her. They slowed down and gingerly inched closer to her, as if trying to squeeze out every drop of fear they could from the already mortified songstress. Out of desperation, Esther summoned GoGo and cast Thunderspark. The damage was decent, but not enough to bring down her enemies' health to half. The Drongo continued to attack and Esther continued to bang and kick the gates with all of her might, but nobody answered.

Just then, the Trapper-Clinketyclank cast See Stars, causing GoGo to become confused. It started to swing its spear blindly while its enemies ganged up on Esther's poor familiar. The Trapper-Clinketyclank then delivered the final blow with Poison Pinch, causing GoGo to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"N-no…" Esther's plea briefly escaped her lips as extreme fatigue coursed through her body, causing her to slump to the ground. The last thing she heard was the sound of the heavy iron gates groaning open as she was dragged into the realm of unconsciousness.

 **NOTES:** I believe that the year in the real world and Kuni are different. It will be explained later on in the story.

(Most) original characters will be related to canon characters. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it's not.

 **Yes! My long planned story is finally online!**

 **Ever since I watched Stampy's Let's Play of it, I have been obsessed with Ni No Kuni, even though I might be late to the party, and probably all the fans have moved on from this small fandom. Oh well.**

 **Another thing, this fanfic will be LONG. If you enjoy sci-fi, dark and evil stuff in general, then this story is for you. So if you decide to stick around, sit back and enjoy this insane ride!**

 **Please tell me what you think about my fic in general. If you're lazy, just at least leave one review throughout the entire story; reviews make me happy.**

 **I will be drawing illustrations to this story, it's just a matter of time. Look out for them on my DA account if you wanna.**


	2. Chapter I--New Hamelin

Awakening

Chapter I—New Hamelin

 **...**

~Thanatophobia~

 _Once upon a time, there lived a little girl with a seemingly normal life. She had loving parents and a caring brother. She goes to school like normal kids and obeyed adults like what was expected of a good kid._

 _However, she had a problem that made her a little... different._

 _If there was anything else the little girl was scared of, it was death. Never mind icky crawly spiders or big scary dogs; the only thing that would make her faint with fright was the cold skin and still heart of an ill-fated person that would never ever open his or her eyes._

 _At first, it started out with stomachaches and dry mouths, but it gradually turned to chest pains, tight chests and nausea. Because of this she was constantly on medical leave. However, her mental health wasn't doing too good either. Almost every night she would have nightmares of prisoners—she could tell by the chains on their legs—bloody and disfigured, chasing her through a never-ending dungeon. When they caught her, she would awake from bed and shriek like a banshee with her sweaty pajamas clinging onto her body. Sometimes she would hide in her room and stuff provisions in her backpack, claiming that a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion was coming and she had to prepare. The last straw came when she decided to run away from home to ditch her life, all the while yelling that she was a waste of space and that she didn't deserve love and sympathy._

 _The girl's parents have tried all they could to help their daughter. They comforted her, they got her anything she needed and her father even gave up his loving job just to look after her. They sent her to a doctor, who prescribed anti-anxiety pills to her. They also sent her for counselling. However, their efforts were deemed futile. Her condition gradually became worse. On many occasions, the girl would have trouble walking due to her left side of her body turning numb for a minute._

 _Every doctor they consulted diagnosed the girl with the same condition: Thanatophobia, the fear of death._

 _As a last resort, the girl's father decided to bring his daughter to somewhere far, far away where he knew many powerful people with brilliant magic to cure her. If science wasn't going to help, who was to say that magic couldn't?_

 _Even if he had friends from high places, they told him that the only way for her to get better was the girl herself-only she had the power to overcome her phobia. Oh, the girl tried her very best to recover! She ate her pills dutifully, actively participated during her counselling sessions, listened to her parents and took plenty of rest._

 _A new ray of hope appeared in the household when the girl gradually showed signs of recovering. She didn't have random stomachaches, nausea or chest pains of that sort. She stopped screaming in the middle of the night, didn't paranoia about another zombie apocalypse and certainly abandoned any thoughts about running away. Her father went back to work and her mother could run her errands with a peace of mind._

 _That was just scratching the surface._

 _The girl, who was now a teenager, had begun to adapt. She plastered a poker face when she had a stomachache or nausea, learned how to stop herself from screaming during and after a nightmare, and didn't bother to hatch a plan to run away even though she had been thinking about it every day. She overheard a heated conversation when she was thirteen from her parents about sending her to a mental institution. She wasn't naive, and she fully knew what a mental institution was. She would be bound to a straightjacket, locked in a room full of white padding, be forced to consume a lot of unknown medicine and be stripped from her freedom._

 _She knew one thing for sure; if she didn't show any signs of recovery, the asylum would be her new home._

 _It would be terribly difficult to act normal for the rest of her life, where every minute she would use all her willpower to not express her feelings. She was so tired of acting normal when she clearly wasn't. Little did her family knew, she had a plan to end her pain._

 _On a beautiful Monday where her father was off to work, her mother was out of the house completing errands and her brother was off to school. Technically, she should be at school too, but she decided to skip it and dashed straight back home while the house was devoid of a single soul. She trashed her parent's bedroom to find a wand. She found_ one _and a special book safely hidden in the fireplace. Or so her father thought._

 _The girl traced a rune followed by a clean line in the centre. The symbol glowed a very bright blue, and she vanished at the very moment a frantic blonde boy in school uniform barged into the door that was left ajar._

 **...**

The sounds that assaulted Esther's ears when she awoke were beeping noises of machines and the dripping of liquid in an IV bag. She groaned as she sat upright, hissing a little from the pain from her little encounter with the monsters outside. Looking around, she realised that she was probably in a hospital of New Hamelin. The large ward was made out of brownish metal and it was scattered with white hospital beds, each bed containing a moaning patient, some covered in bandages or casts, while others had ghastly pale skin and scrunched up faces, a toll from an illness that contaged their bodies. Busy nurses rushed from bed to bed, pushing trolleys of medicine and carrying clipboards.

Feeling bored, Esther stared up at the ceiling that was covered in ceiling fans, or played with a loose thread from her white hospital gown. Just then, footsteps approached her, and she looked up to see two men wearing dark blue armour and identical clasps that represented pig snouts adorned their chestplates, clutching some sleek device things on their hands. She guessed that they might be guards of some sort.

"Excuse me miss, may I ask if you were the girl that fainted next to the back gates on Thursday night?" One of the guards questioned in an authoritative voice.

"Uhm... was I attacked by three monsters or whatever they're called? Was I wearing a purple and pink Al Mammoni outfit? If so, then yes."

The guard nodded. "Hmm... yes. You were reported to have crossed RMF infested areas and became unconscious for four days. By the way, those familiars are mutants. Specifically, they are Radioactively Mutant Familiars, or known as RMF, like I mentioned earlier." The second guard said.

"We have to ask you a question miss, but why did you travel New Hamelin on foot instead of taking the Magnet Train? You _are_ aware that the RMF infested areas are very dangerous, am I not wrong?" The first guard scolded in a very harsh manner that made Esther wince. In her mind, she was trying to comprehend what in the name of babanas was the Magnet Train, and why didn't she notice any obvious train tracks on her way to New Hamelin. " _And_ travelling through them are illegal, are you not aware?"

"WHAT?!" Esther yelled as she jerked up from the best rest. "What do you mean, illegal? Since when was it against the law to travel through a piece of land that is not even restricted?!"

The nurses that were eavesdropping on Esther's interrogation with the royal guards were gossiping rather audibly. Esther managed to pick up 'poor girl', 'memory loss' and 'abandoned'. The songstress growled and gave them a harsh glare with her cobalt blue eyes, driving the gossiping nurses away.

The royal guard continued on without a care. "We will give you a warning for this time round. If you are ever caught hanging around on restricted grounds, we will not hesitate to arrest you. Is that understood?"

Esther mumbled a half-hearted 'fine' through her lips.

A tense silence hung in the atmosphere as the first guard continued tapping away with his device thing which he called a 'tablet', while the second guard remained a stoic expression, his steely eyes never tearing away from Esther. The blonde girl tried to avert her gaze from the guard, but he continued staring hard, as if she were a dangerous criminal trying to make a run for it if he looked away for a second.

The guard fiddling with his tablet asked, "What is your name?"

"Esther Wakefield."

"Age?"

Esther didn't know if it was wise to tell the guard that she had been put under the curse that made her sleep for a thousand years. He wouldn't have believed her ridiculous story anyway. So she just sticked with her age when she was put into an enchanted slumber. "Nineteen."

"Birthplace?"

"Al Mammon."

"Family?"

"Rashaad Wakefield."

He then continued to ask her for general information, until he suddenly started asked questions like what her favourite food was, or which side of the couch she preferred. Esther wanted to question what kind of guard he was and what his true intentions were. However, she did not intended to cause any trouble, so she just went with the flow.

After what seemed like an eternity later, the guard finally stopped hurling random questions at Esther's face. He conversed with the second guard with the occasional _hmms_ and nodding.

"Yes... I believe this is indeed miss Esther Wakefield. By the order of Her Highness Queen Cassiopeia, you are to be under Royal Protective Custody."

 _(Queen Cassiopeia? Does... that mean that she's still alive...? Could it be...?)_

"Excuse me sir, but what does 'Royal Protective Custody' mean?" Esther asked while cocking her head to the right.

"It's basically the formal way of escorting you to the palace. You _did_ request an audience with the Princess, didn't you?"

"Uhh..."

Just then, a masked doctor approached Esther. She wondered what took so long for him to come to her assistance. He asked how she was doing, in which Esther replied that she was fine. He then took the IV needle from her arm that the familiar tamer only just noticed.

"You fell unconscious from losing a fight to RMFs, am I correct? That was quite foolish of you. People who cross RMF infested areas don't usually come out in one piece. I've seen cases where some were bleeding from head to toe, while some had their limbs torn from their bodies. You should count yourself lucky." Esther shivered in fear upon hearing the doctor's description of the unfortunate victims in explicit detail. The guards weren't joking about the plains being restricted.

"Aside from the after effects of confusion and a few twisted bones, everything else seems fine. Now, I would like to take a few tests to make sure that you are completely healed from your injuries."

The doctor seemed to have a point, but the songstresses didn't want to continue lying in bed with unanswered questions flooding her head which threatened to spill out from her ears. She had been unconscious for four days too many. She needed to visit the current ruler of New Hamelin and Queen Cassiopeia. The Wizard Queen was all Esther had left in the futuristic world, her only friend from her time. She had all the answers to her question, and she needed them _now._ "I would love to, but I really need to go. I have many urgent things to settle."

The doctor looked unconvinced. "But miss, think about your health. What if—"

"Please!"

"But—"

Frustrated, Esther leaped off the hospital bed and stood firmly on her feet, showing the doctor that she was fine and didn't need any tests to discharge from the hospital. He jumped from his patient's sudden outburst. "Look, I'm standing on two feet without any assistance! Can I be discharged? Please?"

The doctor sighed. "I cannot give a patient treatment without his or her consent. Very well, your health is at your own risk, Miss Esther." The songstresses crossed her arms across her chest, a victorious smirk etched on her face.

 **...**

After changing into her regular clothes and signing some papers, Esther was ready to go. She signalled to the royal guards sitting at the many plastic seats, looking bored as ever. As she pushed open the heavy metal doors open and stepped outside, her jaw hit the ground.

The steampunk city was littered with towering skyscrapers, and neon advertisement lights lit up the city along with the street lamps. The metal road were filled with many automobiles—cars as what Oliver would say—honking incessantly, its headlights glaring like ferocious predators battling for territory. People from all walks of life filled the cramped pathways, pushing each other as they tried to rush to their destination.

"Oh my god..." was what Esther could only say as she walked through the streets of New Hamelin. It was a challenge to sightsee and walk through the mass of sweaty, fatigued bodies at the same time. Thankfully, she had 'Royal Protective Custody' on her side, and made it through the crowd with little effort. People were shooting her perplexed glances, and the songstress' cheeks turned beet red as self-consciousness took over her calm state. She had been judging the clothes of others when all this time, everyone else had also been judging hers as well. Esther could remember what Oliver told them about the Ding Dong Dellians staring at his overalls during his first visit to the kingdom. Somehow, she could almost relate to his situation.

Deciding to shop for new clothes after her meeting with New Hamelin's ruler, Esther distracted herself by looking at the many advertisements that were flashing crazily with an array of colourful lights.

 _The latest Alaska V3 Plus: Full transparent 4" Display, 17% thinner, 10 MP camera with 1080p recording and better with the new A7 processor! Get yours now for only 3,999,999 guilders!_

"3,999,999 guilders?!" Esther shouted, shocked at the atrocious high price the tablet, Alaska, was worth. Not even the richest man during her time was able to afford it.

As if reading her mind, one of the guards said, "I know, I can't believe it either. The Princess is planning on upgrading our Mardell tablets to Alaska. She claimed that Mardell was too cheap and lousy anyway." On cue, another advertisement selling a Mardell tablet screamed: 'Get yours now for only 1,888,88 guilders only!' Esther tore her eyes from the advertisements and continued walking straight forward.

At last, the group arrived at the gates of the largest and grandest structure Esther had seen so far. It was unmistakably the Royal Palace even though the architectural style had changed in a thousand years. It was mostly made up of metal like the rest of the city and littered with glass panels that allowed golden light from the inside to pass through. Towers with glass rooftops spiralled up where an enormous glass dome rested atop of the palace. If Esther thought that the skyscrapers of New Hamelin were jaw dropping, then she was clearly wrong.

The royal guards conferred with the sentries on duty at the gatehouse, and the tall doors opened. They entered and the doors slammed shut behind them. As they approached the steps to the grand double-doors that could only lead to the throne room, Esther felt her heartbeat quicken. Whoever was behind that door sitting on the throne was definitely not Marcassin, but his distant descendant. The anticipation of finding out the identity of the current ruler of New Hamelin was killing her. Would she be warm, friendly and welcoming; or would she be cold and callous?

The guards pushed open the rather heavy looking metal double doors with ease as they reached the top of the stairs. Esther drew in a breath…

...Only to find the grand throne devoid of anyone.

Esther gasped. Where was the Princess when she had an audience with someone? _(How irresponsible…)_

The first guard sighed. "I swear to god Malcon, she doesn't take her royal duties seriously. Every time she has an audience or a meeting, she's always late."

The second guard, Malcon, snickered. "You know Her Highness, taking her own royal time to do shit. I bet she doesn't have any sense of urgency." They continued to make critical remarks about their ruler as if they were the only people in the large throne room. Esther tried to ignore the guards' conversation and observed the throne room. It was just as grand as the exterior of the palace, with a lush red carpet linking the double doors to the throne. A large crystal chandelier hung over the room, illuminating the area in a soft golden light. Stained glass windows that Esther had only begun to notice filled up every space on the walls, probably showcasing New Hamelin's many achievements made over the centuries.

Just then, hasty footsteps echoed from behind them. The double doors were pushed open, and a girl in her late teens made her entrance. She wore a dark purple medieval styled gown with wide silk sleeves. Her hair was tied up in a bun with an ornate white hair clip that was a huge contrast to her black hair.

"I'm sorry that I'm late!" She apologised profusely, dusting off nonexistent dirt from her gown. The two guards wasted no time in giving a low bow, with Esther trying her best to give her most elegant curtsey. The princess then told them to rise. The guards then stationed themselves at the doors.

"Your Majesty, it is an honour to meet you." Esther spoke up tentatively.

"It is also an honour to meet you too. I have heard a lot about you from ol' grandpa." The princess spoke in a rather casual tone, melting the tension from Esther's shoulders.

 _(Grandpa?)_

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, who exactly is your grandfather? I have never heard of him." Has her situation been passed down the Hamelin Royal Family for a thousand years?

The princess cocked her head. "Oh, you mean Chileas? He died fifteen years ago! Or did you mean the other one?"

"The other..." Before Esther could finish her sentence, an oh-so familiar voice called out from behind her, "I don't suppose you mean me?"

 _(Oh my... This can't be true! I must be imagining his voice due to loneliness!)_ Hearing his charming voice, Esther felt herself being pulled back to her time where everyone she knew and loved were still alive and well, happily chatting with each other and telling jokes...

Esther swiftly turned around, and the person she saw made her draw back a breath. Those handsome yet familiar features that she never thought she would see ever again was standing right in front of her! Wasting no time, Esther leaped towards him, arms outstretched in a hug, only to pass right _through_ him and fall face-first on the carpet.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Miss Esther, but I am not the real Marcassin, for what you see before your eyes is just an imprint of the real Marcassin." The imprint Marcassin said flatly. Upon hearing this, sadness came crashing down on her. How foolish of her to think that her mortal friend would still be alive after thousands of years. Of course he has passed away a very long time ago, his existence slowly fading through the fabrics of time.

Before Esther opened her mouth to ask questions, the not-Marcassin held up his hand. "Magic has advanced a lot when you were asleep. I know that you have many questions that you want to ask, but please, one at a time. Shall we start with the history of Kuni?"

"Yes please!" The songstresses chirped eagerly. It was necessary for her to know the many events that had happened in the span of a millennium. Hopefully, she would get to know what happened to Old Hamelin and the Radioactively Mutant Familiars.

"Very well. However I must warn you Miss Esther, that the truth isn't very pretty. Are you ready?"

 **Ladies and gentleman, I am about to present you a new platform for my (currently no one gives a shit) story a wiki, woohoo! Character profiles, updated information and concept art will be uploaded there, so if any way you are confused about what the hell is going on, or you want a solid imagery of the characters, you can visit the wiki anytime you like. After 1st August, I would have one or two illustrators to collab with and we can work towards a cover art and character art! Yipee! *crickets noises in the background***

 **Warning: The wiki is still under heavy editing, and you might want to visit it a few chapters from now, but the link will be at the AN after every chapter. Oh, and if you find the wiki plain, it's totally okay. I have tried and given up on Wikia templates. UGHHHHHH—**

 **ni- no- kuni- awakening. wikia wiki/ Ni_No_Kuni:_ Awakening_ Wikia (no spaces)**


	3. Chapter II--History Lane

Awakening 

Chapter II—History Lane

"Ah, where shall I start?" Not-Marcassin said as he pondered, "There has been many good and bad events that happened."

The group were currently seated at the dining hall. Since it was almost dinner, the princess invited Esther to dine with her while her 'ol' grandpa' gave his history lecture. Her stomach growled loudly, much to the songstresses' embarrassment. When the appetiser was served, she wasted no time reaching out for the snack and plopped them in her mouth. The crackers made satisfying crunch sounds as she chewed on them, and she let out a sigh of relief through her nose. The crackers had a distinctive milky taste and tasted sweet.

"You like them? They're milk crackers imported from Al Mamoon. I swear to you, they make the best sweets and dairy in all of Kuni. I love it there since I have a sweet tooth. I absolutely adore my babana split sprinkled with lots and lots rainbow rice!" The princess pipped up, gushing about her love for sweets while childishly smiling all the way.

"Ah, yes. Al Mamoon is famous for it's rich milk from the milk fountains that produce high quality dairy and sweets. Not to mention babanas." Esther said, her heart feeling warm from the praise she received about her homeland.

"Uh huh! Not only their sweets, they have the best curry and spices! Oh my god, I envy Lusatia; he gets to eat all those tasty delights while I'm stuck with yucky pig trotters."

"Lusatia?" Esther asked with a frown.

"Lusatia is the current ruler of Al Mamoon. It used to be Lemus on the throne, but after he died the duke Lusatia took responsibility of the kingdom's affairs since Lemus had no heirs."

"Oh... that's unfortunate."

A strained emotion flashed in the princess' eyes. "Whatever, get over it. What about the history lecture ol' grandpa...?" She plopped a milk cracker in her mouth and looked at not-Marcassin, waiting for him to say something.

"Ah, yes." He brushes off nonexistent dust from his clothes. "The land has changed drastically while you were asleep. Especially Autumnia, where Radioactively Mutant Familiars dwell. They were a result from the Great Nuclear Catastrophe that occurred in Old Hamelin five hundred years ago. Back then when it was still called Hamelin, there were many factories surrounding the rapidly expanding empire. After the defeat of Shadar and the White Witch, Marcassin proposed to expand the empire. Over the years, the enclosed area became a residential area while the area outside became industrial areas. The smog was cleared from the residential areas and air filters were installed, providing clean air for the people.

"All was going well, until the mutant familiars showed up. They were believed to be the cause of nuclear waste being dumped illegally. They weren't as dangerous as RMFs today, but still destructive. They invaded the factories and wrecked anything they could reach. It wasn't long before they wrecked the tubes in the nuclear factories that channel nuclear waste exploded, causing a chain reaction which led to the catastrophe. All of the factory workers were immediately killed."

"But... if the factory workers weren't able to survive, what about the civilians? If they are in enclosed area, shouldn't they be safe?" Esther cried, wide eyed and panicky, nervously anticipating her reply.

Not-Marcassin somberly shook his head. "Unfortunately, the civilians weren't spared either. Radiation leaked into the residential areas, killing those on the streets instantly. When rescue arrived, they only managed to save around a hundred civilians. The royal family managed to escape unharmed with my imprint. I could remember how drastic things were during and after the catastrophe. Even after many years has passed since then, the people were still recovering from the scars from the Great Nuclear Catastrophe that destroyed their home.

"During the rebuilding project, many kingdoms aided Hamelin during our most crucial time. Ding Dong Dell aided us financially, Al Mamoon provided us with manpower, Nazcaä provided shelter for the survivors and their Queen giving us enchanted stones to protect the construction workers from RMF. Sadly, even with the enchanted stones, a quarter of the workers fell victim to the vicious beasts. When Hamelin was rebuilt, we decided to give it a new name, yet hold on to the same title: New Hamelin. The ruler of New Hamelin proposed to let go of the past and create a better future for all."

The dining room was deathly silent after not-Marcassin told them the history of the empire. Esther sat upright on her seat, her small mind trying its best to digest the new information being forced in. She wasn't prepared for events to take such a sharp turn for the worst. The princess let out an audible sigh as she chewed on her snack in an agonisingly slow speed. Her troubled face told Esther that she was not in the best of moods, which was strange considering that she was smiling and giggling like a schoolgirl earlier on.

She heard her murmur to herself, "...no good in this world...sadness everywhere... depression rates high..." and the princess let out a discontented sigh. She rested her head on her palms and reached for another cracker, chewing on it at the same darn speed.

Esther turned to face not-Marcassin, who only shook his head in response. He said that she had grave mood swings—one minute she would smile with radiance and the next minute she would be moping around with a deep frown.

The princess looked at the duo with bleak emerald eyes and droned, "are you done? I'm tired."

Not-Marcassin shook his head firmly. "I'm afraid not Rulinda. We still have Ding Dong Dell, Al Mamoon and Nazcaä."

After hearing this, Rulinda groaned as she hit her head on the tabletop. "S'okay. I'll head off to bed now. You ancients can go and have some fun, I'll have dinner in my chambers. Night."

As Rulinda dragged herself out of the dining hall, not-Marcassin said, "I apologise for her moodiness. She has been like that since Lemus passed on. I heard that they were good friends; it's so sad."

"It's alright, I understand." Esther replied.

The double doors groaned open, and a servant walked in, pushing a trolley with dinner. It was barbecued steak with golden French fries and parsley at the side of the plate for decoration. It was accompanied with clam chowder and black truffles as a side dish. Esther politely thanked the servant and he gave a curt nod in reply. Not-Marcassin informed said servant about Rulinda's change of dinner plans before he wheeled the trolley with another serving out of the dining hall.

Her stomach let out a loud rumble again, making Esther blush harder than ever. She blew lightly on the steaming meal, grabbed her utensils and dug in. The steak was tender and juicy, making her entire body tremble in delight.

Not-Marcassin nodded. "Alright, so I have covered most of Hamelin history."

"Wuht? I thot yoh wore downh?" Esther said, shielding her mouth stuffed of steak out from sight, not wanting to disgust her friend's imprint.

"No, I never told you how I was made, am I right?"

Immediately a thousand theories and questions flooded Esther's mind like a dam during the wet season. It was always like that every time the songstress was about to learn something new.

"I was made by Queen Cassiopeia; a magical imprint filled with memories, knowledge and skills of the real Marcassin. It was a gift for his last surviving son."

 _(Last_ surviving _son? What happened to Kate...?)_

"The Empress had always preferred sons over daughters and insisted on having sons. After siring six daughters, twin boys were born. Sadly, the Empress' body was worn out after birthing eight children and passed away almost immediately after the twins were born. When the Emperor died from an incurable disease, the crown princess, Phoebe, took his place, but she was poisoned shortly after. The second princess took over, but somehow drowned in a lake. The third was run over by a tank; the fourth tripped off a cliff, the fifth hanged herself and the sixth was stabbed.

"It was absolute mayhem. The ministers concluded that the same group of hecklers that caused trouble for the royal family for many years were plotting to eliminate the royal bloodline and themselves to turn Hamelin into a communist state. The surviving twin brothers were kept under strict watch, but the younger twin managed to run away. In the end, they decided to ascend the remaining twin, Marco, on the throne. To summarise the events, let's just say that Marco was a tyrant, and the runaway twin Assin joined forces with the Hamelian Revolutionary Army and ascended the throne."

"Wow... I never knew that Kate was so obsessed with sons..."

"Her obsession led to her demise, unfortunately. I wish I could tell you more, but Cassiopeia never got Marcassin's full memory, only half. The human mind is a bizarre place."

Esther could remember attending Marcassin's wedding to a Hamelin aristocrat. It was sudden considering the prince never said anything about dating anyone. During the bachelor party and the wedding, he seemed to radiate a very distinctive aurora of sadness that only Swaine and herself could identify. Other than that, the others were completely oblivious to his forced smiles and dull eyes during his big day. The familiar tamer had overheard an argument between the two brothers, where Swaine demanded to know if he was truly happy, with Marcassin nodding reluctantly in reply.

The aristocrat, Kate, didn't seem to notice her future husband's plight. She maintained a gorgeous smile and a kind attitude throughout the wedding. ' _A beautiful and sweet lady.'_ The guests claimed. She was able to swoon and charm anyone with her honeyed tongue, except Swaine. Whenever she tried to converse with the ex-thief, he would scoff at her and shoot her a dirty look, saying that her smile was plastic and she was insincere to everyone. He even went on to accuse her of marrying his brother for the sake of his title as Prince. Esther was outraged at his behaviour and repeatedly apologised to Kate and gave Swaine a good earful after the wedding.

Perhaps the marriage was arranged by Marcassin's ministers for the sake of having a heir to the throne. It was always the case for marriages in royal families—they were business deals rather than love. While Esther envied Marcassin sometimes due to his ridiculously handsome appearance and his position as a Prince and a sage, there were time where she counted herself lucky to be born as a commoner. Mainly because of the burden of governing an entire kingdom and blindly entering a loveless marriage if your ministers were too impatient to wait for you to find The One.

"Let's close the book on Hamelin and move on to Al Mamoon. I believe you want to know what has become of your hometown."

Esther sat on the very edge of her seat, eyes wide in anticipation while drinking her clam chowder.

"As you heard from Rulinda, food is the kingdom's strong point. They are the main food suppliers in the world; their culinary skills outmatched. Many budding chefs and bakers train at their Academy of Food and Cuisine. Al Mamoon is the third best kingdom according to the World Ranking, with New Hamelin taking second place and Nazcaä at the top.

"Of course, every kingdom has it's strong points. However, I cannot say that about Ding Dong Dell. There has been... complications between the grimalkin and the human race." Not-Marcassin sighed and looked down.

 _(What kind of complications?)_ The grimalkins and humans have maintained peace and harmony throughout the years despite their huge differences. Something major must have happened to break the peace between the two species.

But then again, both races have racial tolerance drilled into the heads since birth, being taught that any slight insensitive remark or action would cause the gears of insecurity and hatred to go mad. So there might be somebody trying to deliberately spark tension between the two species. The big question is who might have caused it.

"It started over seven hundred years ago, where the king suddenly changed the rules and policies of the country favouring grimalkins. The humans at that time found it difficult to get a job, a house and receive higher education. The humans have attempted peaceful means to fight for their rights, but they were dismissed by the king. At some point, royal guards were sent to raid human homes and arrest supposed terrorists. It was an awful sight to behold-homes were petrol bombed and families were fleeing in the middle of the night. Enraged, the human Ding Dong Dellians decided to form a militant group, the Libertatems, resorting to violence to fight for their rights.

"A lot of riots and killings broke out, turning the peaceful kingdom into a battlefield. Civil unrest and hostility remains in the kingdom until this day. I would suggest that you stay away from Ding Dong Dell; it's like a minefield there. I would be terribly distressed if you do not return in one piece... are you alright Esther? You look pale."

"I-I'm fine. Just f-fine." Esther replied, clutching her clammy hands together. If she ever told anyone from her time that humans and grimalkins are at conflict with each other, they would laugh. To imagine both species against each other was laughably absurd, but how could Not-Marcassin lie?

He let out a low chuckle. "I did warn you that what I was going to say isn't very pleasant, but I don't blame you. I could interest you in _Our History Lane—The Era Of AP,_ if you would like to learn more about history in explicit detail."

"Uhm... sure. But I really need to see Cassiopeia, so I guess this is goodbye..." Esther said as she finished the last piece black truffle.

"Ah, yes. But I would recommend spending the night here. After all, you are penniless; and even if you had a few guilders in your pockets, you cannot use them since there is a new currency."

It was when the imprint mentioned about staying the night did she realise how tired she was. Esther looked at the bronze wall clock and gasped. Did they just really talk all the way past midnight?

Not-Marcassin stood up and led Esther through the many winding hallways of the palace, where he showed her the guest room she would spend the night in. It was the best rooms usually reserved for visiting dukes and duchesses. Esther politely thanked the imprint before stepping into the carpeted floor and heaved a sigh of relief when she was alone.

The songstresses filled the oversized tub with water, stripped off her clothes and slipped in. She poured liquid soap on her hands and scrubbed her body, the grim washing off from her body along with the stress from the day. She picked up a bottle of bath salt, not knowing its purpose and how to use it for she never had the luxury of using bath salts, let alone afford a bathtub. Did she need to pour it in the water?

Deciding to exclude the bath salt in fear of using it wrongly, she quickly finished bathing and slipped into a bath robe and fur slippers. While towel drying her blonde hair, she took out a silk nightgown as her choice of nightwear.

After changing, Esther plonked herself on the King sized bed. It was very soft, up to the point where she felt as if she were being swallowed up by it. She shifted herself into a comfortable position and bugged one of the extra pillows and sleep overtook her entire being.

 **...**

 _They did it. They finally defeated Moltaan, silenced Old Smokey and are now heading back to Al Mammon to tell Rashaad the good news. They rushed to his babana stand, where he was standing there waiting. Oliver excitedly informed him that they completed the Trails and learned a lot of new things, such as metamorphosis and serenading. When he tells him he and Esther managed to save Al Mammon from Old Smokey, the Sage was in shock, unable to believe two children and a fairy were able to silence the fearsome volcano. After Esther retold her father about their adventure, he was awestruck._

" _So… not only did you succeed in completing the Trails, you also prevented the volcano from erupting? That is quite a tale. It would seem that your potential is even greater than I had imagined." Rashaad said, "But for Shadar himself to have appeared...it seems his game has entered its next phase. I must look into this…"_

" _Thank you, Mr Rashaad, Sir! We should get back to our journey!" Oliver said with courage evident in his voice, ready to take the next step into defeating Shadar._

" _Do we have to, Ollie-boy? I'm flipping knackered, mun!" Drippy complained, "Can't we stop by here for a bit and have a nice babana or two?"_

" _There's no time, Mr Drippy! Other towns could be in danger!" Oliver cried, giving Drippy a glare. "Mr Rashaad—I need to learn more magic! I need more powerful spells!" He then turned to face Rashaad confidently._

 _However, Rashaad claimed that he had proven his ability by overcoming the Trials and saving the city, and there was nothing more to teach him. He said that he had to go to the other two remaining Sages that still remained and learn what they had to teach him. One of them resided in Hamelin, Autumnia._

" _Autumnia… that's far away to the east. You'll need a boat to get there…" Esther said, placing her finger on her chin, brow furrowed in thought. "So you'll need to go via Castaway Cove. It's the closest port. To reach it, you must cross the desert of south of here."_

" _Cross the desert to the south, huh? Is it far away from here?" Oliver asked, slightly worried._

 _Esther flashed a warm smile to the young wizard's way. "Don't worry Oliver! I'll show you the way!"_

" _Esther! You mean!" Oliver cried in shock. Surely not..._

" _Yes! I'm coming with you! We'll travel together from now on!" Esther said, nodding excitedly._

" _But… are you sure?"_

" _Of course I am! We're both fighting for the same thing, aren't we? And you already know how helpful having me around can be!" The blonde replied confidently while placing her hands on her hips, referring to her healing and serenading abilities._

" _You bet I do! But… Mr Rashaad… is it alright that Esther comes with us?" Oliver asked Rashaad cautiously, knowing how he just got his daughter back after he mended her broken heart. Surely he wouldn't just let his beloved daughter travel with Oliver out in the wilderness and risk her getting hurt!_

 _However, Rashaad replied calmly, "Hmm… I know my daughter. There is no stopping her when she sets her mind on something. I have little choice but to agree." He turned to face Esther. "Esther, you must make yourself useful to Oliver. You must not become a burden to him."_

" _Of course I won't! I'm a Great Sage's daughter!"_

" _Hmm, truly you are. Then it is decided. Oliver, please take care of my daughter."_

" _I will!"_

 _With this, Esther let out a giggle and ran to the young wizard, gripping onto his shoulders as she leaped in delight. "You'll look after me—won't you Oliver?" She smiled sweetly at him, her cobalt blue eyes brimming in excitement. "Oh, and I'm sure you will too, Drippy!"_

" _Welcome aboard!"_

" _Oh, I'm an afterthought, is it? Righto, I can see how this is going to work out. Still, I suppose you do brighten the place up a bit. Go on then. The more the merrier, I s'pose."_

 _Esther turned to face her father. "Well, father… I had better be going."_

 _Rashaad gave his daughter an affectionate gaze, somewhat unwilling to let her go, but considering how elated she was when she was given permission to travel with Oliver and defeat Shadar, how could he change his decision? "Take care, daughter. May the Ancients watch over you."_

" _Thank you Mr Rashaad! We promise to visit again real soon!"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _You'll look after me—won't you Oliver...?_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Take care, daughter. May the Ancients watch over you…_

 **My god it's like 3AM right now and my gawd so emotionalllll.**

 **Check out the wiki for art, character profiles and more! (Currently it's more or less empty since the story is still at its early stages. Wait until it reaches chapter 10 or so?**

 **ni -no -kuni -awakening. wikia. com (no spaces)**


	4. Chapter III--Nine Kin

Awakening

Chapter III—Nine Kin

The next day Esther was at the dining hall again eating breakfast, still recovering from the nostalgic dream—no—memory she had last night. It left a strange bitter taste in her mouth, but she managed to wash it away with white coffee.

Rulinda was at the other side of the table happily chatting about her plans for the day. It was strange to see her in smiles after how gloomy she acted the last time. Regardless, it was comforting to have someone to talk to in this futuristic world.

Esther's thoughts lingered to Cassiopeia. As soon as she met the Wizard Queen, all her questions and doubts would be answered. The very thought of learning about the horrors of the world seemed frightening yet exciting at the same time.

After she was done eating a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, cheese toast and coffee, the songstresses was ready to go. A personal vehicle would be ready for her at the launch bay, where a servant would escort her there, but Rulinda insisted to accompany Esther so that she could have more time with her to talk.

While walking through the bright hallways of the palace, Rulinda was talking about Nazcaä. She said it was a beautiful haven with flowers of all different kinds of species and colours. She also said that the Nazcaän were much more happy and friendly than New Hamelians. All of a sudden her mood turned sour, and she started sighing and moaning to herself. Esther decided to ignore the moody princess as she did not want to upset her even further.

They made a sharp turn down a corridor, where she saw double doors with a lone button at the right. Rulinda pressed the button. It flashed green for a moment before a loud _ding_ was heard and the double doors swished open, revealing a tiny glass room.

The princess stepped in the room while Esther stood back, hesitant to enter the strange room. Was it a teleporter of some sort?

Rulinda gestured her to step in. When it didn't work, she went over and dragged her in. The double doors closed and the room ascended. Esther was able to get a bird's eye view of the palace through the glass room, and this new experience made her clutch on the railing in excitement.

Rulinda raised an eyebrow. "Never been in a glass lift before?"

Esther scratched her chin. "Lift? No. This is quite the invention."

Sunlight pierced through the glass as they reached the top floor. She recognised this place as the dome of the palace. A vehicle shaped like a bug with choppers rested at the centre of a large painted circle on the ground.

"What's that bug-like thing?" Esther asked, pointing at the bizarre vehicle.

"It's a helicopter," Rulinda said, "This is one of the best models in the entire world! It is only used by royalty, so it's your lucky day!"

A man in a full black outfit with goggles introduced himself as the pilot. He took Esther's hand and opened the door for her while she boarded. After fastening her seat belt, the pilot started to power the helicopter. The glass dome opened and they slowly but surely ascended to the blue skies.

She watched in fascination as the entire world became smaller as they went higher. She could just make out a purple figure with black hair waving goodbye and she waved back, even though she couldn't be seen. The glass dome closed shut, and soon the magnificent palace and the bustling streets of New Hamelin were no more than colourful specks of dots.

The cool air and the soft seats in the helicopter made her relax. She would have dozed off if she hadn't a good night's sleep. Instead, she decided to watch the scenery.

It was quite amazing to look down at the world at such a height. Even the Iron Wyvern didn't provide such a spectacular view. From oceans to lands, everything was beautiful for a moment.

After what seemed like an eternity (which in reality was two and a half hours), they finally reached their destination. Esther was full from stuffing her face with snacks and was quite reluctant to leave her comfortable seat, but she exited anyway.

"Where are we specifically?" Esther asked the pilot.

"Nazcaä Airport, Miss."

 _(An airport? It must be a place where air vehicles land and depart.)_

The staff escorted her to a lift. She distracted herself by looking at the advertisement posters on the walls, where one was about a lucky draw and the other was about a marathon. Her jaw dropped to the floor when the lift doors opened and revealed the interior of the airport. It was as beautiful as Cassiopeia's castle. The walls and floors were made of pure white marble. There were green spaces which does not give one the feeling of being cooped up indoors. The shops were endless and she could just about see a playground with children at a distance. Overall, the interior was very artistic and efficient. She could have mistaken the airport as a grand palace if not for the people with luggages walking around.

They approached two women clad in white and gold armour which she assumed to be royal guards. Her assumptions were correct as they introduced themselves to be Nazcaän guards responsible for escorting her to the Ivory Tower. The staff left Esther under the care of the female guards.

Unlike the Hamelian guards she met before, the Nazcaän guards were more friendly and approachable. They did not have a stoic expression or steely eyes. Instead of walking in silence, they made friendly chat with her. The two girls, Marie and Brenda were working as royal guards for four and seven years respectively. They enjoyed their job and were fiercely loyal to their Queen. During their day-offs they would hang out at the shopping mall and meet new people.

The bustling city of Nazcaä somewhat resembled the city of New Hamelin, but it had the sense of peace lingering in the air. Road kerbs were filled with grass and either trees or flower bushes were planted in abundance and the vehicles produced little harmful exhaust which explains the fresh air. The people here seemed as if they had all the time in the world as they casually strolled through the concrete pavements, chatting with one another.

A long car that had a logo printed on the doors and hood was situated at the pick-up point. Upon closer inspection, the logo was a green haired woman holding three different types of flowers, with three words below it: Hope, Youth, Faith. A vine surrounded the woman and the flowers.

"What're you waiting for? Winter Festival?" Brenda teased Esther as she was staring at the logo.

"Shut up and get in the limo, Brenda!" Marie called out to her friend as she hopped in.

The familiar tamer snapped out of her little trance and got on the limo, as Marie called this long car. She sat next to Marie, who was uncorking a wine bottle, poured it in tiny cups the size of her palm and offered one to Esther. She refused since she didn't drink.

During the ride, she found comfort in looking at the scenery outside. Empty fields were rare as trees were planted on every empty grass patch visible. It seemed that Cassiopeia was a very environment friendly person. The Cowlipha, Queen Lowlah was from a long line of skilled gardeners and she was able to decorate her kingdom with flora and fauna despite their location in the desert where nothing grew except cactuses. The two queens would often exchange advice and tips about gardening with each other whenever they had the chance to strike a conversation.

She decided to switch her attention from the scenery outside to the clip that was played on the small screen attached to the roof of the limo. There was a beautiful brunette woman wearing a black blouse and pencil skirt standing at the right.

 _"Welcome to Nazcaä, the garden haven of peace. From our ancient temple to our famous museums, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Our sacred country is rich in history, dating back for as long as a million years..."_

A beautifully animated mini clip of the history of Nazcaä played. The Wizard Wars, the Wizard King, Cassiopeia's succession to the throne, the Council of Twelve, The White Witch, and...

Esther's breath hitched. Playing on the tiny screen was an animated version of she and her friends against the White Witch. The animation was so well done and they looked so real. She reached out and touched the screen as an animated Oliver walked forward. If she imagined hard enough, she could feel the warmth of his hand, the fabric of his cape, the silkiness of his red hair...

If Marie or Brenda noticed, they didn't seem to care as they were perfectly content indulging in their own activities. The narrator's voice was soft and fading in contrast to Esther's overpowering thoughts. There was no way that she was able to block out the flow of memories rushing in to fill the empty void in her head. She sank back to her seat and rubbed her temples vigorously. If she was going to survive at least a day, she should stop letting her memories and emotions get in the way. This wasn't her time anymore.

She must have fallen asleep as someone started to shake her shoulders roughly. "Wake up sleepyhead! We're here!"

Brenda's grinning face greeted Esther as she awoke. All of a sudden, she was jerked off her seat and dragged outside. As the limousine sped off into the distance, she turned to face Brenda, fuming. "What was that for?!"

"Hehehe... I tried to wake you up, but you were in your own dream world. So I dragged you out, just like what my dad does to me whenever he wakes me up for school."

"..."

The Ivory Tower had certainly not changed much since the last time she saw it. It stood at the centre of the city in all of its glory; not even the towering skyscrapers could outshine the magnificent palace of the Wizard Queen.

They got past the sentries positioned at the gates, and Marie pushed the white double doors open. The interior was extremely posh and bright, and for some reason it made Esther smile.

When she entered the throne room, Cassiopeia beamed upon seeing her. Even though they were friends, Esther bowed along with Marie and Brenda out of respect. She dismissed the two guards with a polite wave of her hand and they marched out with emotionless expressions.

"Your Majesty, it's..."

"Dismiss the formalities," Cassiopeia said as she stood up from her grand throne. "It's been so long since I saw you. I would prefer if you treated me as your friend."

Esther fiddled nervously with the sling of her bottomless bag. "Alright."

"I am aware that you have many questions. I believe that Marcassin had answered some?"

 _Marcassin._ She says his name so casually, as if he was still alive and it somehow scared her.

"Yes he did. But his answers bring me more questions. About you creating him as an imprint..."

"Ah yes. It was a gift for little Assin. He was so traumatised after his entire family was taken from him. Especially after... Marco's reign, I decided to make a copy of his father to keep his loneliness at bay." She placed both hands on her heart. "I know how it feels, and I don't want him to go astray."

Esther nodded. "Oh... is he the only imprint that you've made?"

"No, I have created imprints of every council member except you. Every time when I request a meeting I summon them here."

After the world was at peace again, Cassiopeia wanted to create a new council to help her with royal duties as Queen, such as asking for advice and debating over new laws that she wanted to enforce. She invited the rulers of the three kingdoms, the Great Sages, Oliver, Swaine, Mr Drippy, Kublai, Master Solomon and Esther herself. The Queen did not want history to repeat itself and thus arrived at her decision to recruit trusted friends from every part of the world.

Esther was amazed. So does this mean that she could still talk and go on adventures with her friends even though they have all died a millennium ago? The very thought of it lifted the heavy feeling from her shoulders when she found out that everyone was gone. Maybe she could resume to normal life once more. She could continue her magic studies and inherit her father's title as a Great Sage, find her destined gentleman and settle down.

"Amazing... so I take it that everything is well?"

Upon hearing this, Cassiopeia's smile turned upside down, and the spark in her eyes had dimmed. "Not exactly... there has been a very serious problem that occurred some time after you were put to sleep." She sighed as she rubbed her hands together. "Why don't I show you instead?"

The Queen closed her eyes and furrowed her brows as she tried her best to concentrate. A flicker of light flashed on her hands and it grew in size and power as the seconds ticked by. Strong winds were summoned and her hair was flowing wildly along with the wind. The balls of magic pulsed with energy, and she opened her eyes, which were empty and glowing. All of a sudden, the two balls of magic exploded.

Esther screamed as the harsh light temporarily blinded her. When she regained her vision she found herself floating in black space, where Cassiopeia stood beside her.

"There was a time long ago before the world of Kuni even existed. Our people used to worship them as Gods."

Grassy land and clear blue skies materialised before them. There were at least nine people together happily dancing and singing. Everything was calm and peaceful... but somewhat devoid of life. Except for the nine people, there was nothing else. No flowers, no animals, no mountains and no other humans as far as the eye could see. It was as if the grassy plain was endless.

One of them spoke up, "it's boring here."

A woman next to him nudged him in the elbow. "You have us. What else do you want?"

"Life. It's plain. Boring. Imagine if life were to thrive here. We can see them shape our world. It's more fun than singing and dancing all day, isn't it?"

His eight friends were silent for a moment, casting uncertain glances at each other. The silence dragged painfully on, until a man who seemed the oldest and wisest among the group gave his approval, and the rest followed suit.

The nine people vanished. The scenery started shifting and taking form. Flora and fauna sprouted from the rich soil. Rain fell from the skies and created oceans, rivers and lakes. Mountains rose from the ground. Animals and humans started thriving in the new world created for them. The caveman made their homes in caves and hunted for food. They quickly evolved and gained intelligence, upgrading their lives with magic. Soon, the countries of ancient Kuni took form.

For a moment Esther felt like a god overseeing the fate of the world. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

The scene changed. The same woman who talked with the man who had the idea to create life sat cross legged on the floor with both palms rested at her knees; her palms contained powerful balls of magic. She had her brows furrowed, deep in concentration. When she opened her eyes, the two spheres fused into one and a beam of light from her chest connected with the large sphere. She then picked up her staff lying on the ground and casted Form Familiar. When the whole process was done, a Starshade rested on her lap, its veil swaying gently in nonexistent wind.

Another woman with green hair clapped. "Woah Superbia, nice work."

Superbia smiled confidently as she lifted her chin high in the air, happily accepting the praise. "Why thank you."

The green haired woman summoned her familiar, a Mahanaja. She raised her right arm and allowed it to coil around it. "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

The purple haired woman rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Oh please. It's just a snake."

" _Excuse_ me? Mahnny here is my _familiar,_ not just any other ordinary snake."

"Fine," Superbia huffed in annoyance at her friend's response, "it's a beautiful familiar. Does that suit you, Invidia?

Invidia huffed in satisfaction as she played with Mahnny, constantly praising her familiar for its gorgeous fiery red scales.

The two ladies were interrupted by a man with flaming orange hair who looked extremely vexed. He snapped at them impatiently for them to stop playing with their familiars and follow him. They were obviously not pleased with his attitude and continuously mocked him as they tagged behind him.

They arrived at an altar where the other Gods stood there waiting. A large pool of water rested at the centre. The surface was very clear and flawlessly reflected one's image as if it were a polished mirror.

The oldest God pointed a bony finger at the water's reflection, where it showed soldiers furiously clashing spears and swords at each other, their cries piercing the silence. Blood spilled on the ground and it stretched on as far as the eye could see. Another scene showed prisoners of war being tortured for information, another showed the bones of civilians starving to death on the streets, and the last showed the Council Of Twelve hunched in their seats, their cloaks hiding their eyes in shadows as they discussed about their plans for Nazcaä and the new queen.

"Tell me what you see." The God demanded in a raspy voice.

A white haired female God wearing a pale blue dress flatly replied, "war, torture, starving people and weird cloaked freaks."

The God glared at the woman with distaste. "They are the Council Of Twelve corrupted. Other than that, you are correct. And do you know why?"

She shrugged her shoulders casually and rolled her eyes, unshaken by the explicit scenes or she simply didn't care.

"The Wizard Wars are tearing apart the land. Innocent people are dying. Soldiers bent on spreading bloodshed. Homes and buildings ablaze or in ruins. How did it all start? I went to investigate and found out something tainting their souls, which I call Human Malicious Personality Syndrome." He clenched his teeth and tightened the hold on his staff in anger. "That wretched disease is ruining our perfect world that we created. I will need to create a spell to purify their hearts—it's the only way."

"Being the leader of the other Gods," Cassiopeia began suddenly, and it made Esther jump a little. She was so absorbed in the scene unfolding before her that she had forgotten that the Wizard Queen was standing next to her. "Everyone was supposed to agree with whatever he says, unfortunately the others didn't exactly agree with him."

"I disagree!" Superbia boldly protested, much to the Sun God's disbelief.

"How dare you! How _dare_ you even raise your voice at me!"

"We're Gods, aren't we? Can't we just eradicate the filthy humans and create new ones? Why do you even want to waste your magic on those pathetic mortals?"

"Superbia! What did you swore when we created life for the first time? To not abuse our authority and help the lesser species in their time of extreme emergency!" The Sun God boomed as he slammed his staff on the ground, glaring daggers at his own kind. If glares could kill, Superbia would have suffered a gruesome death.

She crossed her arms together and huffed at him challengingly, her hubris radiating from her entire being. Even though she was just an image, Esther could feel her strong prideful aurora.

"I agree with her too..." Invidia spoke up meekly. A male God with green hair which Cassiopeia told her was the Earth God, stared at her with his jaw agape up to the point where it was almost touching the ground.

Her friend gave her an encouraging nod, which built up her confidence. "It's too much of a hassle to create a new spell, especially a spell which can purify tainted souls..."

Furious, the Sun God raised his palm and gave a hard slap on her cheek. Invidia stumbled and fell from the impact. She whipped her head to face him with rage in her eyes like burning embers.

"Hey! Just because we don't agree with you doesn't mean you have to be a jerk!" A black haired male God snapped as he rushed to help his fallen companion.

"You got that right. What are you, some big boss?" The white haired God sneered, deciding to join in the tense conversation.

Soon, everything turned haywire. Everyone except the Earth God were firing insults and comebacks to and fro, anger radiating from all of them stronger than ever as they delved deeper into their childish fight.

The Sun God stomped his foot with sheer force that it created cracks on the stone floor. Esther did not like the murderous look in his eyes which flashed an unspoken message of _'I had enough'._

He raised his heavy staff which started to crackle with raw power. The spell aroused winds so powerful that it was difficult for the gods to keep their footing. A dark purple spiral resided at the centre of the tip of the staff and grew bigger in size as the spell dragged on. When it reached its maximum size, it was pulsing with threatening energy that was able to put fear in the most ravenous and terrifying monsters. The air was filled with shrieks of terror and agony as the Gods (except the Earth God of course) realised that they were being sucked into the swirling vortex.

It was as if the spell was designed to prolong pain to the victim. Miniature particles of flesh, tissue and blood were being torn apart from their bodies and swallowed hungrily into the vortex. The Sun God's face was twisted in rage as he watched his fellow God kin being torn apart. "THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FROM GOING AGAINST **ME!** I'LL BANISH YOU LOT FROM GODHOOD!"

Their cries were abruptly silenced as the vortex materialised into a black box, which floated midair for a moment before crashing onto the ground.

"In a blind fury, the Sun God trapped his seven God kin in a powerful enchanted box and buried it deep within the heart of the Nazcaän Mountains. The seven Gods were furious and vowed to destroy the world that they created. And their tool was...me." Cassiopeia said as she faltered at the last world of her sentence, letting out a deep sigh of regret.

The scene shifted, and it showed a young Queen Cassiopeia sitting on a cushioned chair in her chambers talking to Apus.

"Apus, do you think I'm going insane? Last night I kept on hearing voices in my head, telling me that my kingdom isn't the safe haven that I pictured it to be. Is it my imagination, consciousness, or..."

Apus squawked in reply, which provided no help whatsoever.

Cassiopeia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her delicate hands brushing against the golden cage of her pet parrot.

"I didn't believe in those voices, but after overhearing the captain of the guards said that my people are too poor to buy bread, and the starving dying on the streets. Yet the Council assured me that all was well..." She gripped the bars tightly, her hands quivering. "Just who is telling the truth? Tell me Apus..."

Once again, Apus squawked as he started preening his feathers, leaving the queen even more confused.

The scene changed again, and this time it showed Cassiopeia in her nightgown, reading a book under the warm glow of her table lamp. When she closed the book and prepared to go to bed, she suddenly jolted as if she were electrocuted.

 _"You're not going insane, I can assure that. We're not figments of your imagination or consciousness. We're just... lost spirits that require your help."_

Cassiopeia's head perked up as curiosity got the better of her. "What do you want exactly?"

 _"You see, we are innocent victims of the Wizard Wars. A terrible disease—Human Malicious Personality Syndrome—has tainted the hearts of your people which caused the war to happen in the first place. You are the daughter of the great Wizard King, surely you can cast a spell to purify the hearts of the tainted!"_

"..."

 _"Please help us! The magical populace is dwindling, and you're the only one who is powerful enough to cast such a spell!"_

"I'll... I'll try."

 _"Thank you so much, Your Majesty! We are forever in your debt!"_

The scene changed, and it showed Cassiopeia with a green haired man in robes. He was holding a thick leather book with gold lettering embedded on its cover while he held his staff with his other free hand.

"You have done well Your Majesty. Our lesson ends here."

Cassiopeia flinched at the word 'end' and shook her head. "No, I am not there yet. May I request an extra lesson tonight?"

The man scratched the back of his neck and looked at her oddly. "Uhm... tonight? A man and a woman gathered at such an hour seems a little... inappropriate..."

The young queen dismissed his worries with a simple flick of her gloved hand. "I don't care about what others think. I want the lesson to be held in the garden anyway."

"Hmm... alright, if that is what you want. So I shall meet you at the garden at nine o'clock sharp?"

Cassiopeia smiled. "Uh huh. See you, Horologium."

The man in robes reciprocated the gesture. "I'd rather you call me Horace."

"Horace?" Esther questioned out loud. Was the spirit boy that Oliver met during his quest to defeat Shadar Cassiopeia's magic teacher? Oliver described him as a green haired boy dressed in Nazcaän robes. Was he the same man that she saw with the young queen?

Cassiopeia nodded. "Yes, Horologium was my magic teacher and... a council member. He wasn't evil like the others though; I could see it in his eyes. However, we never had our night lesson at the gardens. He was banished after his supposed crime for treason. I never saw him again..." She sighed as the scene melted away to make way for a new one.

The Wizard Queen was situated at a balcony that overlooked her entire kingdom. Colourful roofs of the town buildings dotted the landscape along with wide grassy hills and towering mountains. It would have been the perfect scenery for one to lay their eyes upon; but if they looked closer, they could catch glimpses of decaying corpses and blood surrounding the streets, with graffiti and dirt adorning the walls. The townspeople were sickly thin and starved as they knelt down on the dirty pavements collecting food remains for their meals. Altogether, the kingdom screamed crime and poverty.

Yet, Cassiopeia stood confidently at the balcony, fiery determination evident in her green eyes. She was done with the lies and the fake smiles of the Council. She was going to make things right and put an end to the war. And she was going to do that with an ancient spell that could cure those infected with HMPS—Manna.

She drew the complicated symbol of the spell with her fingers, and a bright light conjured in her palms. She held her arm high in the air as white ash gently fell onto the world. Her lips curved into a bright smile as the ash came into contact with the bony people, her mind envisioning the positive scenarios that would occur after she was done.

Surely this could cure them. Everything was going to be alright.

However...

An audible gasp of pure shock escaped from her lips as Cassiopeia saw what the spell had done to her people. They screamed in agony as they embraced the floor, clutching their heads as if a massive headache overtook their entire being. Their skin turned light blue, and when they stood up, she could see their eyes were devoid of life. They walked sluggishly with both arms raised in front of them as they started attacking the closest creature they could get their hands upon.

Cassiopeia screamed as she halted her spell and covered her face with her hands, hyperventilating.

"No! Why? Why must this happen? My Manna was meant to purify the hearts of my people! Not... _this!_ You... you spirits tricked me! How **dare** you!"

She expected the voices to laugh and mock her for falling into their trap, but they never came.

Everything then faded to black, and the duo were once again floating in empty space.

"They manipulated me into doing the dirty work for them. Their plan to destroy the world succeeded, but up to a certain extent. They could only communicate to highly skilled wizards via telepathy while sealed in their prison, and the Wizard Wars vanquished majority of the magical populace. It remained that way for ten thousand years since there was no other that was powerful enough to speak with the Gods. That is, until Oliver became a Great Sage.

"When Shadar and I were defeated, I was worried that the Gods would be plotting to corrupt Oliver and use him as their next tool since he has extreme magic potent; so I gave him Contra medicine. It was once used to control mentally ill patients, and I gave it to him in hopes that the voices of the Gods would be silenced." She turned to face a very baffled Esther and flashed a sympathetic glance. "I'm sorry that I kept it under wraps. I didn't want you guys to get involved…"

"It's okay..." Esther replied shakily.

She was surprised that Oliver never said anything about voices in his head. Maybe Cassiopeia was just panicky and assumed the Gods would use Oliver as their tool. But if her assumptions were correct, why didn't he say anything about it? She and the others were his friends, so there was no excuse for him to keep them in the dark!

Come to think of it, it did seem quite uncharacteristic of the young wizard to keep such a secret to himself. He was usually a straightforward and honest boy and would not hesitate to speak his mind. Maybe he thought that his friends would think he was crazy and shun him? But he knew very well that his friends weren't judgemental and unreasonable. The very thought made Esther's blood boil. Did Oliver truly thought she was such a terrible person? If he were still alive, she would give him a good slap to the cheek and an hour's worth of interrogation, before scooping him in a hug while crying her eyes out.

The spell ended, and they returned back to the throne room. Cassiopeia's serious expression returned.

"Now, I know everything in this futuristic world seems extremely overwhelming right now, but would I be too bold to suggest... well... I require your assistance."

Esther titled her head in confusion.

Behind the Wizard Queen's stoic facade, her eyes glimmered with a hint of distress. "No sooner after you fell asleep, someone managed to release the Gods, causing them to wreck malice and chaos in their wake. They possess people or people sign a contract with them, granting them powers that are believed to be more powerful and sometimes destructive than any other spell created by wizards.

"I wish to properly hunt the Gods and seal them for good, but I have a kingdom to rule. Thus, a sorcerer has been taking in the task for me. However, time and time again he had failed to do his job properly. I had hired many qualified wizards and witches to assist him, but in the end they forged contracts, became possessed or just couldn't stand his attitude; so I gave up. But you Esther, you are someone I trust. You had freed me from my darkness, so would it be too much trouble if you helped him?"

 _(Too much trouble? Too MUCH trouble?)_

As much as she did not want to hate Cassiopeia, she had every reason to. Esther had woken up from an enchanted slumber, realised that she was a thousand years into the future and almost everyone she knew and loved were gone; wasn't that enough trauma? Now she wants to embark her on a mission to hunt down demons that were hell bent on corrupting everyone with their godly powers with a probably stuck up sorcerer? It was asking _too_ much.

But then again, how could she say no? Cassiopeia was her friend, and friends helped each other when they needed it. Besides, the songstresses was not the only one who has been through life-changing trauma—the Wizard Queen had experienced many in her lifetime. When you technically compare the life stories of the two ladies, Cassiopeia had certainly been through far worse, and yet she did not complain. She had certainly not spent ten thousand years in an enchanted slumber, nor had a family or many friends to turn to in her time of need.

And here she was, whining about her loss and trauma in her head a million times like a baby. So why should she flatly reject the Queen's mission?

Inhaling deeply, Esther replied confidently, "I will do it."

Cassiopeia gasped softly, shocked to comprehend that the familiar tamer accepted her daunting mission. "Really? Are... are you sure?"

"Of course!"

"B-but..."

Esther held up her hand in front of her to silence the queen. "Please, let me do it! I know the mission seems daunting, but it's the least I can do for a friend! Besides, I get the chance to explore the world again, just like all those years ago. I also have backup too right? Don't worry about me; I'm a Sage's daughter!"

Cassiopeia was speechless for a while, furrowing her brows, deep in thought. The seconds stretched to tedious minutes, enveloping the throne room in silence. It was so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat. As Esther continued to wait for the queen to make her decision, she started to doubt herself if she was truly capable of taking on the task, or was she taking it up in a whim?

The songstresses was alone, devoid of a purpose in life. With nothing better to do, what could be more exciting than a dangerous and crucial mission?

Finally, Cassiopeia cleared her throat and announced, "Alright."

Inwardly cheering from the inside, the queen led her to the guest rooms, where she knocked on one of the large doors. The person inside grunted in response, perhaps it was his way of saying, "come in."

Inside the grand guest room, a teenage boy with blonde hair had his back faced to them while he hunched in an oversized armchair. Upon closer inspection, he seemed to be engaged in reading an extremely thick book with yellowed pages.

He then slammed his book shut before turning to face them. "Anything you require Your Majesty?"

"Why yes. Regarding your recent failures and your request to continue your mission solo. My answer to that is no, and this is why I brought you a new partner. Allen, this is Esther."

Allen eyed Esther curiously. Both of them had fair skin, blonde hair and cobalt blue eyes. His striking resemblance to her made her shiver; it was almost as if he were a male version of her.

After a long silence he offered his hand. "Hey."

She shook his hand politely. "Nice to meet you."

There was an awkward silence after that, before Cassiopeia decided to speak. "I believe you know your father's friend here quite well. In fact, I did mention a few times that if she were to awake, she would assist you. Please cooperate with her, she's quite shocked to see the world changed, so be patient with her. Do you understand me?"

She spoke to him like a mother would to her child about serious issues, but Allen didn't seem to mind. "M'kay. I'll try."

Cassiopeia narrowed her eyes. "Don't _try._ You _must."_

It took Allen all his will not to roll his eyes. "Fine."

All of a sudden, a bubble magically zipped through the door and in front of the queen's face. It popped before a voice escaped from it. "Your Majesty, you are required at the throne room. The ministers request to speak with you. End message."

"I need to go. Allen will tell you everything you need to know." Cassiopeia said before leaving, filling the guest room in awkward silence once more.

 _(His father's... friend? Does he mean...? No way! How is that possible? By right he should be dead if he were...!)_

Esther looked at the pristine marble table, where his bottomless bag was placed along with its contents strewn on the tabletop. Provisions, paper, a tablet and a couple of trick gems, but one item stood out from the rest of them. It was a wand, but neither was it an ordinary wand.

It was Mornstar.

Allen followed her gaze. "Whatcha looking at? This?" He stood up and picked up Mornstar. "It was my dad's. After Lily took off with Astra he wouldn't give me this until he died. This thing's wonderful though, but I don't flash it often 'cause it gained fame when my dad used it, and when I want to keep my identity incognito I temporarily replace it with another wand."

Was he truly whose son she thought he was? Or had she misinterpreted and his father was not the person in her mind, but rather his distant descendant. It had to be, it _had_ to; there was no other explanation.

"Excuse me, but may I know who your father is? Cassiopeia claims that he knows me, but everyone from my time is dead, unless they're immortal. In fact, I have no immortal friends other than the Queen."

Allen was stunned after hearing her question. "My father, Keone, is dead... for all you know she could have mistaken you for Esthella, my dad's best friend. She was also blonde y'know..."

"Oh. I thought you were..."

"The son of the Pure Hearted One? Oh please! Okay, he may have had a daughter for all we know but his kids are all dead, unless they were immortal, which is impossible."

Esther inwardly laughed at herself for thinking so much.

"Alright, back to business. If you have fought alongside the saint boy and defeated heart-crusher, Medusa and her satellites you must certainly have some skill. You're a songstresses, right? That would be of great help for this." He handed the thick tome to her, where the gold lettering at the cover page read: SCHOOL OF THE HIGH MAGIC ARTS, NAZCAÄ. BOOK 7, SPIRITUAL AND COMMUNICATIONAL MAGIC.

"It took a hell of a long time to read, but I figured out how to precisely detect the Gods, or I rather say demons. You see, they attach themselves to objects or humans where they can spread demonic influence. The book says that we can detect magical entities through a magical sonar. The magic sonar travels at a certain frequency, which I believe your harp is able to produce such a sound. I hope you hadn't forgotten how to play your instrument; it would be a disaster if you did.

"Anyway, it uses up a hell lot of manna. Every time I regain enough manna to cast the magic sonar again, the demons have already left for another country! Plus, when they aren't in possession of a human or object, they are able to cloak themselves, rendering the spell useless. But your harp doesn't use manna to play right? So you can use your harp to mimic the sound of the magic sonar as many times as you want! Even though it may not be as accurate, but we'll still know its vague whereabouts without spending all of our guilders on cappuccino. Sounds dandy?"

So all she needed to do was detect the Gods for him? It didn't sound that bad.

Before Esther could reply, Allen continued, "nope! After we find the demon, we need to draw it out from its vessel. If it's in a human, you either provoke the person up to the point where they scream bloody murder, or attack them. If it's in an object you must destroy it before it can possess you. After you draw out the demon you fight to the death. If you lose it escapes, if you win, you seal the demon, where it'll become nothing more than a cocoon. Understand?"

Esther nodded. Locating the demon, luring it out before fighting it; how hard could it be? She had fought nightmares, magical guardians, the Dark Djinn, the White Witch and the Zodiarchs. If she were able to beat them, surely she would be able to handle demons.

"Sure. Where do we start?" Esther asked.

"Try out the detection spell. Don't expect much though; you're an amateur in magic."

Taking out her harp, she read the instructions of the spell. She began plucking at the long strings, producing an odd melody of extremely low notes. She continued to do so for another five minutes, and when she was unable to detect anything she began to worry. It was then she felt something echoing back. It was faint, but she could just about sense an unnatural vibe tickling her senses. A very faint vision of sand dunes temporarily clouded her vision, and the sounds of the harsh winds of the unforgiving desert entered her eyes.

All of a sudden, a harsh wave caused her entire right arm to go numb for a moment. She let out a gasp as she widened her eyes, looking frantically around her to see an amused blonde teen.

"Hahaha... it is always amusing to watch a beginner mess up."

Esther glared. "Hey!"

Allen chuckled and waved his hands. "Whatever. So where are they?"

From her faint vision and the sound of desert winds made his question an easy one to answer. "Al Mammon."

Allen picked up his book and stuffed it in his bag. "To Al Mamoon then."

 **I have bad news for you guys. You see, my studies are falling behind and if I don't do anything about it I'll fail my important exams this and next year. So updates would be considerably slow, like once every few months or so?**

 **This sucks, I know. I love this story with all my heart and it sucks when I can't spend a lot of time writing. Though during November 2016 I will be officially done with secondary school education and get a super long vacation, where I plan to catch up on all my stories and YouTube videos.**

 **So when I have little bits of free time I'll add a few paragraphs to my stories. Hey, every word counts.**

 **Can't be bothered to link the wiki cause it's currently empty. Until I add sufficient information I'll add the link to it.**

 **P.S: This is my longest chapter I've written in my fanfiction life so far. 7269 words. Wow.**


	5. Chapter IV--Suspicion

Awakening

Chapter IV—Suspicion

The duo are currently riding a public plane to Al Mamoon. Esther felt extremely bored as there wasn't any entertainment provided except for a tour guide booklet for Al Mamoon, a safety booklet and a magazine selling all kinds of trinkets. After reading all three booklets at least ten times, she got sick of reading the same material over again. She tried to sleep but couldn't. Besides, she felt claustrophobic with the seats arranged so close together.

Allen said that she had to deal with it since he didn't have a lot of guilders to invest in anything more than a budget flight.

When they arrived at their destination, Esther felt like kissing the ground but restrained herself.

Al Mamoon had not changed as drastically compared to other kingdoms. Even though there were a few tall towers and modern facilities dotting the landscape, the pathways were still built out of the same tiles a thousand years ago, the architecture somewhat the same, and greenery was flourishing despite its location in the middle of the desert. Also, babanas were still the iconic food of the kingdom—as observed by the songstress as she was passing by various food stalls selling all kinds of babana treats.

She felt hungry and borrowed money from Allen to buy a babana split. Even the taste of her favourite fruit had not changed.

After her snack, Esther went to explore the city. She visited many new places such as the playground, the community centre and the public park. One particularly large building caught her eye—the mall—as referred to by Allen. "You can find many shops in one building. Quite convenient if you ask me."

In one of the boutiques she was able to get herself a new outfit (and with the help of one of the salesperson as Esther had no taste in modern fashion). It was a white knee length dress accompanied with a thin fake leather belt and ankle length boots. It was simple and within Allen's budget. However, she got a little carried away and ended up buying extra accessories such as a purple hat, hair clips, nail polish and a black bottomless bag.

During lunch in the food court, Esther was quite amazed at the different varieties of food to choose from. After a lot of thinking she settled with curry chicken rice while Allen had a bowl of noodles. While they were eating the boy was grumbling about girls and shopping.

After they were done, Allen attempted to drag Esther out of the shopping mall.

"Oh no, I'm not letting you waste any more of my guilders after you spent them on unnecessary stuff."

"But... the hat matches my outfit, and the bag is way fancier than my old one! C'mon, let a girl do her shopping!"

"Girls plus shopping equals to an empty wallet. Besides, we're not here to shop. We have things to do, remember?" Allen retorted.

"What's the rush? I want to sightsee! Everything's so... different and exciting! Can't the mission wait just for a _little_ while?" Esther whined.

"As long as it doesn't empty my wallet."

Reluctantly, the blonde allowed the songstress to spend a little on entertainment. A _little,_ mind you. However, with so many new and unique activities, accessories and gadgets it was tough to keep within the budget. At the end of the day, Esther left the shopping mall in high spirits while Allen was groaning and grumbling, feeling that a huge weight has been lifted from his wallet.

Esther was still admiring her new watch when Allen abruptly interrupted her, "We should go book a room for the night. Now hurry up and stop staring at that damn watch."

"But it's so pretty! And more convenient than a pocket watch!"

She was expecting a simple two to three storey inn with the sign: _The Cat's Cradle_ hanging overhead. However, she was met with a towering skyscraper with _The Cat's Cradle_ in neon smacked at the top of the tower.

The lobby was very spacious. It had black marble tiles with a large fountain representing a chubby cat at the middle, along with comfortable armchairs and coffee tables scattered across the hall. The high ceiling allowed one to see the many restaurants located on the second floor through glass panes. A large chandelier softly illuminated the lobby, along with the evening sunlight piercing through the glass panes that surrounded two walls.

Esther sat on one of the armchairs as she waited for Allen to book the rooms. As she looked around, the more she felt like royalty. The design was so classy and it screamed the word _costly._ Surely it must cost a bomb to stay the night. So why of all hotels did he choose such a pricy one? ( _And there he was at the mall whining about his hard-earned guilders being spent willfully.)_

When Allen returned, he was holding two palm sized paper booklets with a plastic card chucked beneath each of them. "I got us rooms at level four, rooms 203 and 204." He gave one of the booklets to Esther, who was busy reading the content written in it.

"That's great. So where's the key?" She asked.

"I gave it to you."

"You just gave me a booklet and a card."

"The card _is_ the key. You use it to unlock your room door."

Esther stared at the plastic card dumbly, wondering how a card was supposed to open a lock.

Allen sighed and smacked his palm on his forehead. "Oh right. I forgot that you're... never mind, I'll show you when we get there."

When they reached their respective rooms, the boy inserted the card in a slot on the door. A green light beside the slot flashed for a second, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

"See. That's how you do it, okay. Don't lose the key." He said slowly, emphasizing every syllable in his sentence as if he were talking to a preschool kid.

Esther _tsked_ at the tone of his voice, entered her room while muttering a quick thank you before slamming the door shut.

 _(Gosh, who does he think he is?)_

She reached out to flip the light switch, but was confused as the switch only activated a tiny red light on the bottom of it. Frowning, Esther tried searching for another switch but found nothing except a remote control. She lifted it in the air and pressed the big red 'on' button. A _beep_ sounded and hidden fans started whirring, but no lights.

Esther started to panic. What did she need to do? Was she required to say a passcode or something to activate the lights? She squinted to read the booklet's contents under the dark and found nothing that could help her turn on the lights.

Deciding to place her card key on the holder provided while she continued to ponder on her situation at hand, she was taken aback as the lights turned to life as she slotted the card inside.

She turned to the switch that she pressed earlier which was situated directly next to the bathroom.

' _Water Heater.'_

Blushing in embarrassment, she scratched the back of her neck before opening the curtains which gave her a perfect view of the city below. The people were either rushing home from school or work to their apartments where family members would await their return with steaming warm dinner on the table. Not just that, there were also people who were dressed up and heading to some party or casual night gathering.

After looking at the people like a God observing his world, she tore her gaze away from the window to shower.

Apparently Esther took way longer than expected, as when she was in the midst of blow-drying her hair, furious poundings on the door were heard.

She switched off the hair dryer and answered the door to face a very impatient Allen.

"The hell you've been up to!? I've been waiting for a whole damn hour for you to bathe! We're already late for dinner!"

Esther gave him a blank stare. "What's the rush?"

"If you don't show up early for the dinner buffet all the food will be gone by the time we get there!"

The songstresses could not help but giggle. "Seriously? All this temper just for food? Oh, I can't blame you. I'm pretty sure the food at the dinner must be mouth-watering."

"Well then? Hurry up, or I'll leave you behind!" Allen yelled as he flung his arms in frustration like a child that was not getting his way.

 **…**

"So, why on earth did you choose such a costly hotel?" Esther asked Allen who was sitting across her, eating rather enthusiastically.

He looked up from his plate filled up with a mountainous pile of food. "The Cat's Cradle is one of the most reliable hotels I know. Even though it's tempting to just book a room at a cheap motel, I don't feel safe there. There was one time where my room got broken in—most of my valuables were stolen." He shuddered. "The staff didn't do anything about it, and the police didn't detect any evidence of break in so they didn't give a damn. The asshole of a manager even wanted me to pay a crapload of guilders to open up my safe which was jammed. Hell, there is no way I'm going to stay in some no name hotel anymore."

Despite the boy's complains of being late, they weren't. There was still a generous portion of food left and the chefs were still cooking more food, ready to feed more hungry guests. Allen was in paradise, and in less than two minutes his plate was filled with a mountain pile of food. He wasted no time as he dug into his meal, eating like a ravenous wolf. By the time Esther filled her plate and returned to her seat, he was ready for seconds.

"I see, that's unfortunate." Esther said as she stabbed her fork into the freshly roasted chicken.

"I know. You don't have to feel sorry for me; I was young and stupid. Anyway, tomorrow we'll start searching for that demon. I'll teach you how to enhance the spell so that it can precisely tell us its location." Allen said, briefly making eye contact with Esther before taking more bites out of his food.

"Okay."

They continued to eat in silence. Not that either of them minded. Allen was able to savour the food while Esther was alone to her thoughts.

 **…**

The morning rays of the sun that filtered through the window panes filled the hotel with brilliant light. It was a fine morning. People were in their casual wear, some tittering with their mobile phones and some were engaged in conversation with their friends or family. The atmosphere was light and hearty. After all, it was a weekend (except for those who work on weekends). It was the kind of day that nothing could possibly go wrong.

That was what Esther thought as she was eating a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, muffins and waffles. It was a lot, but honestly, that was the point of attending a buffet. _All you can eat._

"When you're out there, please stick by my side and don't wander off by yourself." Allen said, looking at Esther straight in the eye.

Esther rolled her eyes. "Oh seriously, I'm nineteen. I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself."

Instead of being amused, his stern expression did not leave his face. "I'm serious. It's not that I think you can't defend yourself, but believe me or not, females here go missing all the time."

Upon hearing this, Esther's sarcastic smile melted away. "What?"

"Are you deaf? I just said that beautiful Al Mammoni women and girls like you vanish without a trace. And among those women are those who perfectly know how to defend themselves-yet they end up being kidnapped." Allen paused and fished out his tablet, swiping the screen until he came across a certain page. "You should know that two women have gone missing today. One of them was a talented witch who was best known for the kickass potions she brews. The other was a martial arts teacher. So there."

The songstress frowned and snatched the tablet from his grasp, hungrily reading the digital news article.

 **Al Mamoon Today**

 **Yet Another Two Women Reported Missing**

 _ **A**_ _t seven am this morning, a distressed man rushed to the police station to report that his wife, Suzanna Janes, a martial arts teacher, had gone missing._

 _He is not the only person who has come to report their wives, daughters or sister's disappearance. Since last month, a total of twenty six women and girls have vanished without a trace. Police assume that they are traffickers, since there was no report of anyone sending ransom to the victim's family members._

 _The victims are of a variety of ages, and the traffickers do not have a set period of time as to when they strike. The only common trait that all the victims share is their beauty._

 _The last time they were seen was when they were leaving to meet up with someone. Little evidence was left behind, and authorities find the paths cold. The police have been working closely with civilians to track down the traffickers._

 _Muhammad Ali, a baker, whose daughter went missing a few weeks ago said, "This is awful! How could they do this to innocent females! The last time I saw my beloved Siti was when she was leaving to meet her friend. I never trusted her 'friend', and now my suspicions were true! I hope the police can arrest the kidnappers and rescue my daughter!"_

 _Females are advised to be accompanied by a family member or a trusted friend when going out, and to avoid the outdoors during the night._

"Do you believe me now? Or do you want me to show you more similar articles?" Allen asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

The blonde sighed as she returned the tablet. "Alright, I believe you. I'll make sure to stick with you at all times. That is, unless I need the restroom."

 **…**

True to her word, Esther did remain glued to Allen's side like a leech. After reading the news article, she became more wary of her surroundings, always looking behind her to check if anyone was stalking them. She also noticed that there were not many females around, and those that were clinging to a man's arm, looking as anxious as her.

Allen had taught her how to enhance the spell song. She played it, but her vision only showed a large building. The mental image was dark and blurry, extremely difficult to identify. So they were walking around the streets, eyeing any large building they could find.

"Is it this one?" Allen asked, pointing his index finger at a museum building. Esther played the song again, but she sensed no magical presence nearby. She shook her head, and Allen groaned in annoyance.

They repeated the same ritual at every large building, stopping for a while for a break, and continued again. When the evening sun bathed its golden rays across the horizon, they thought that they should give up, until Esther noticed the royal palace peeking over the many rows of buildings.

She told him about the palace, and they decided to give it a last shot. If it was not in the palace, then they would come to a conclusion that the demon had left to another country.

Surely enough, when she played the spell, a strong surge of magic pushed her off her feet, causing her to land roughly on her bottom. But she did not mind-because they finally found the demon's location! She resisted the urge to do a celebratory dance right on the spot.

"Haha, how stupid were we? It's in the palace, and it's biiiiiiig! I mean really biiiig!" Allen exclaimed, his voice slurry.

Esther playfully punched him on the shoulder. "I think you're drunk after all the walking and complaining."

"So we'll visit the prince tomorrow? What if the demon possessed him or it possessed one of his precious belongings? Or maybe one of his servants? Then how the hell are we gonna do it?"

Good question. If it possessed the prince or any of his servants, they needed to anger or hurt them. Not the best idea. If it possessed his prized valuables, how were they supposed to explain the need to destroy it because of demon possession? They could not just waltz in and say, "Hey Your Highness, a demon used your beloved (insert precious valuable item here) as its vessel and we need to destroy it to exorcise the demon?"

Or maybe it took a mere porcelain vase or a rusting key as its vessel? Not very likely, but possible.

"We'll see." Esther said.

 **…**

The Al Mammoni guard glared at them with a steely gaze. "So you requested a private audience with His Highness?"

Allen nodded coolly, as if he had done this a thousand times before. "Yeah. I even have the letter of approval. Wanna see?" He waved the official letter in front of the guard's face, undaunted by his cold visage. Esther wanted to slap his arm and remind him not to be rude, least he decided to reject them. However, he gave her an I-know-what-I'm-doing look, so she sighed and hoped that the guard would let them pass.

He snatched it and took a hard glance at the letter, checking to see if it was not a fake. After he confirmed it to be real, he thrusted it back to him, grunted and granted them entrance.

When they walked far enough without the guard being able to hear them, Esther glared at him. "What were you doing back there!? Do you want to piss of the guard? What if he decides that you're a jerk and won't let us in?"

Allen nonchalantly shrugged. "He can't. As long as I have the official letter of approval I have every right to be granted access, unless I commit disruptive behaviour. I don't think sassing him a little counts right?"

Shaking her head, Esther decided to shut up and continue walking.

Soon, they entered the grand throne room. Situated at the far end of the hall was a very handsome man in regal clothing, slumping on his throne. As he noticed their entrance, he corrected his posture and blinked the boredom out of his eyes.

For some reason, his gaze made Esther shiver.

After going through all the formalities, Allen cleared his throat, seriousness written all over his face. "Your Highness, we are two drifters sent by Her Majesty, Queen Cassiopeia to collect seven magical spirits." He took out an envelope made out of ivory paper and carefully took out the letter within with great care. He passed it to the secretary, who then passed it to the prince, who was examining the letter and paying a _lot_ of attention to the royal seal embedded on it. "My partner here has detected magical presence in your palace. Would you mind if we look around to find it?"

The prince's eyes widened a little, and he stroked his chin while pondering on the request. Until what seemed like an eternity, he gave his approval. "Alright. If you're really sent by the Wizard Queen, I don't really have a choice, do I? Anyway, feel free to look around except the basement. There are very valuable items stored there and I don't trust anybody going in there.

"Oh, and before you go, Dee will accompany you. Especially when you enter locked areas like the vault; Dee will ensure that you don't steal anything." He told his secretary to fetch the servant, who obeyed and left. In less than five minutes he returned with a lanky servant boy with eye bags. He looked extremely vexed and irritated; his thick eyebrows making him look fierce.

The mention of a forbidden area sent Esther's curiosity skyrocketing. She could not help it, being a nosy person and all. What was so valuable and precious in that basement? Couldn't he just store them in the vault?

Allen bade a quick thank you before grabbing her arm and out of the throne room. He requested some private time with Esther, which Dee reluctantly agreed.

"Y'know, I do want to check out the basement. There is certainly something secretive in there that he doesn't want anyone to know." Allen said as they were out of earshot.

"That was what I was thinking. But how are we going to get in there? "

He shrugged. "Dunno. But I'm gonna go in there, I don't care. Even if it's his sacred diaper, at least I can sleep at night knowing the unknown. Anyway, enough talk. Let's go."

 **…**

"Dee, can we check out the basement?"

"No."

"Why not? We checked almost every single room at the first level."

"No."

"Why not? Can we visit the vault then?"

"Yes."

"Then why not the basement?"

"His Highness' orders were to not allow any visitors in the basement."

"Is there any reason as to why nobody can go there?"

"No."

"Why?"

"His Highness' orders."

Allen groaned in annoyance and turned to Esther. "This is not getting us anywhere."

They were done checking the first level of the palace, and Allen was prodding Dee about the basement, which he refused to give much information. All he knew was that among the entire palace, the only place that was forbidden was the basement. They found it very suspicious—they were allowed in vault, trophy room and even the prince's chambers, but not the basement (All the more piquing their curiosity).

After it was known that Dee would not reveal anything about the basement, Allen gave up and continued to walk in silence.

As they continued to cover more ground, Esther noticed that they never encountered any female servants. Maybe they were in charge of the upper floors? But by the time they reached the prince's chambers which was located at the highest storey, she was certain that there was not a single female servant working in the palace. But why? Is the prince gender bias? Or maybe all the female servants are on vacation?

Before opening the grand double doors, Dee eyed them warily. "Now, don't you try anything funny you two. I still have the detector to check for His Highness' valuables hiding in your pockets, if you decide to steal."

The duo let out exasperated sighs. He had repeated the same thing every time they were about to entering a place of significant importance (like the vault).

"We know, we know. Let us in already." Allen said, tapping his foot impatiently.

The chambers of Prince Lusatia were as luxurious as any chamber belonging to royalty. Since the current ruler was a human rather than a giant, the chambers were sized down to fit his scale. The walls were a deep shade of purple and the carpet an equally deep shade of red. Most of the furniture was made out of expensive wood, mostly mahogany, its polished surface reflecting the sunlight pouring into the room. A chaise lounge made of soft velvety cushion was situated right in the middle with a sleek black device of sorts (which Allen told her was a laptop).

Esther plucked her harp strings, trying to detect even a tiny trace of magic, but sadly fond none.

She was about to give up and leave, but noticed something poking out from the lowest desk drawer. Making sure to face her back on Dee's watchful eye, she carefully pried open the drawer. There lay many photographs strewn messily as if the owner could not be bothered to stack them neatly or was in a rush to keep them. However, it was not the arrangement of the photographs that caught her eye—it was the person _in_ the photograph.

A teenage girl with dark brown hair tied up in a bun, smiling brightly at the camera with sparkling green eyes and a jeweled tiara adorning her head. _Rue's 14th Birthday Celebration_ waswritten in italics at the bottom of the white photograph border.

Esther quickly looked through the other photographs. Most of them were solo photos of Rulinda during significant events, but she paid the most attention to the last photo in the stack. It was the princess laying her back on an unnamed man's chest, laughing. The photo was dark and somewhat blurry, as if taken in secret. An angry red cross scarred the man's face. When she flipped the photo over to look for more clues, there were two words written in red that sent chills to Esther's spine.

 _Dead Bastard._

 **Hey, I have good news—I passed secondary three and I'm promoted! Yipeeee! I still have until December before intense prep. for national exams start.**

 **So the plot thickens (sweet** **Déjà vu, if you get the reference** **). Oh boy, I can't wait. I love Rulinda-she's my favourite character along with another character that will appear later on, but not too soon thou.**


End file.
